Police briefs: Alabama man killed in early morning accident

Alabama man killed in early morning accident

A 61-year-old man from Alabama was killed Friday morning after an accident at the intersection of Kaliste Saloom Road and Evangeline Thruway.

Witnesses told Lafayette Police that a Ford truck traveling south on Evangeline Thruway collided with a car turning left onto Evangeline Thruway.

The driver of the car, Travis Baker of Henagar, Ala., was pronounced dead at the scene. Casey Robertson, 26, of Lafayette, was charged with vehicular homicide, OWI, driving under suspension and disobeying a red light. Robertson received moderate injuries and was transported to a local hospital. The crash remains under investigation.

Woman pleads guilty for fake hurricane claims

A New Iberia woman pleaded guilty to conspiring to defrauding the government out of thousands of dollars in false hurricane damage claims.

Federal prosecutors say Jacqueline Marie Benjamin entered her plea Thursday. She faces five years in prison, a $250,000 fine, or both with three years of supervised release. No sentencing date was set.

In a 2005 application to FEMA following hurricanes Katrina and Rita, the defendant's sister-in-law applied for rental assistance money claiming she was forced to move as a result of storm damage to her home. According to the stipulated factual basis signed by the defendant in open court, Valerie Benjamin listed her new residence in New Iberia as a rental property and listed Jacqueline Benjamin as her landlord when she was not.

Man accused of selling counterfeit jerseys

NEW ORLEANS - A French Quarter merchant has been charged in federal court with selling counterfeit New Orleans Saints jerseys.

U.S. Attorney Dana Boente's office says 36-year-old Mohammed Sameer Ahmed, of Kenner, was charged with trafficking in counterfeit goods in a bill of information filed Wednesday.

Ahmed is accused of peddling the phony jerseys in his French Quarter store, which was not identified by authorities.

Investigators with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security found 58 counterfeit "Reebok" New Orleans Saints jerseys at the store between June and October of 2010, Boente's office said.

Authentic NFL jerseys have a hologram tag. The fakes found at Ahmed's store carried counterfeit hologram tags, according to Boente's office.

If convicted, Ahmed could face a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $2 million.

- From staff, wire reports

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Police briefs: Alabama man killed in early morning accident

Alabama man killed in early morning accidentA 61-year-old man from Alabama was killed Friday morning after an accident at the intersection of Kaliste Saloom Road and Evangeline Thruway.Witnesses told